Normal procedures cover pre-flight set-up, launch and landing, etc.
- The flight team comprises a minimum of 4 personnel: one (1) pilot, and three (3) support personnel. These roles are interchangeable.
- The flight team has the following field equipment:
- A gazebo/tent to provide shade so the PIC has good visibility of the GCS improving the safety of operations;
- A foldable table and at least 2 foldable chairs for comfort;
- A vehicle, which must stay parked at launch sites during UAV sorties with a functioning cigarette lighter 12V power take-off to power laptops (not to charge batteries) and an AC inverter. Alternatively a small generator can be used;
- A pair of binoculars, a laser range finder and an anemometer to monitor field conditions;
- A small chemical fire extinguisher in case of an accident;
- A survey tripod to hold survey rod for the UAV base station and a hammer and pegs or spray paint to mark reference station;
- Water to keep hydrated;
- A field laptop to post process GNSS readings.
- Batteries must be fully charged, according to vendor guidelines, before operations commence. Batteries, like all other UAV equipment, must be checked before each flight for potential damage, swelling, or other issues. A sufficient number of batteries should be charged and available to allow for 4 flights per day.
- Normal flights have the following characteristics:
- Beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flights are conducted over people and built up areas;
- The UAV’s typical operating altitude is 400’ (122m), however, when flying over high rise buildings its altitude may reach 180m – 200m. Higher altitudes (of up to 2,000 ft) can be flown, subject to approval.
- Flight plans are created using mission planning software (refer to the UAV vendor’s user guide for more information) enabling autonomous operations.
- Flight lines are parallel lines, perpendicular to the prevailing wind direction. Spacing between flight lines is dependent on the degree of forward/side lap between images and the flying altitude with a minimum of 60/30 forward/side lap for flat areas and 80/70 for built up areas.
- The following procedures as adhered to as part of normal operations:
- Take off/launch is into the wind. In other words, the wind should be blowing towards the front of the aircraft. Likewise the UAV lands into the wind;
- Operators must complete a series safety checks before, during and after launch (as described here);
- Image data GNSS readings are downloaded after each mission;
- Fully charged battery sets are used for each mission.
- At the completion of operations the UAV is disassembled, checked for damage, cleaned and packed away;
- Batteries are charged at the end of each day.